Deputy sheriff foils Charleroi burglary

CHARLEROI – A Charleroi man arrested in a Monday burglary in the borough was chased and tackled by a Washington County deputy sheriff who happens to live next door to the victim.

Charleroi Regional police found the suspect, Chad M. Snyder, 21, face down on the ground, sweating profusely, out of breath and held by deputy Sheriff Anthony Mosco when they were called that afternoon to the 200 block of Lookout Avenue, court records showed.

Bystanders were yelling “They have him on the ground,” when police arrived about 3:20 p.m.

Mosco said the baby sitter he hires ran to him to tell him a man was running away from the house. Two roofers working nearby spotted the suspect and were able to tell Mosco which direction to run.

Byron later told police she had arrived home through the front door, set some things down and went to the front porch when the suspect ran past her out the same door, the affidavit indicated.

Police accused Snyder, of 97 Prospect Ave., of breaking into her home through the back door. As he fled, he attempted to hide a red drawstring bag, in which police found items that had been stolen from the woman’s residence.

The stolen items included a designer purse, 200 pieces of jewelry and three checkbooks, police stated.

Court records also accused Snyder of possessing an empty heroin stamp bag and a hypodermic needle at the time of his arrest.

Mosco was not in uniform at the time, but he wore his badge around his neck.

When questioned by police, Snyder said, “Look, I’m caught, but I didn’t know that guy was a cop,” the record showed.

He was charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, trespassing, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia. District Judge Larry Hopkins remanded him to Washington County jail on $50,000 bond.

Scott Beveridge is a North Charleroi native who has lived most of his life in nearby Rostraver Township. He is a general assignments reporter focusing on investigative journalism and writing stories about the mid-Mon Valley. He has a bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master's from Duquesne University. Scott spent three weeks in Vietnam in 2004 as a foreign correspondent under an International Center for Journalists fellowship.